The Performance Secret Behind F1’s Most Successful Team Principal
FORMULA ONE IS an unforgiving sport. Days move fast, cars move faster, champagne gets popped (if you're lucky)—and before you know it, garages are being packed and cars flown to the next race halfway across the world.
Pair a jammed race schedule with the intense pressure associated with competing at the highest level in motorsport, and you have the daily reality for Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, and the rest of the F1 community, for 24 weekends a year.
Time to rest, rejuvenate, and generally do anything else that might be considered self care, is limited. How does one deal mentally, and emotionally, when running one of the most prestigious operation at the pinnacle of motorsport? Don't worry—we asked.
We sat down with Wolff to discuss his own mental health journey, how he thrives under pressure, and the changes he'd like to see to lessen the stigma surrounding mental health in motorsport.
MEN'S HEALTH: What has your own journey with mental health been like?
TOTO WOLFF: I went through some trauma as a young boy because of a family situation. My father was very ill for a long time, and I had to grow up quickly. I couldn't be a kid anymore. It was pretty tough to not be able to rely on parents [at that young of an age]. The first time I felt like something was off with me, I was 18. I woke up feeling really feeling weird one day. The only correlation that I could make was that it felt like heartache—which didn't make sense, I had a nice girlfriend at the time.
For a long time, I just accepted that was normal—it was just a feeling I had to live with. At a certain stage it became pretty unbearable. Not always, of course. For many years I would experience nothing, and then a difficult life situation would happen and that feeling crept back. When it did, I would really introspect, and try to fix what could be causing it. I would try to manoeuvre my way out of it. Times came that I couldn't manoeuvre my way out of it.
One day, I got talking to a friend of a friend who was a psychologist, and they said that I should come see them. I was never afraid of talking about [my mental health]. There's this facade that men shouldn't speak about these things because it's a sign of weakness—and it's not, it's a superpower. It means you're more aware of things that happen around you. Though, it definitely doesn't feel like a superpower while you're down and struggling. But it's a good thing to feel things.
I started to speak to him, and we began cognitive behavioural therapy. Things got better every time I went. After most sessions, I felt a deep relief. I have learned a lot about myself there, and it's become a very useful tool.
MH: What kinds of lessons have you learned that help you navigate the stresses of life?
TW: I understand way more about why I feel the way I do. When the perfect storm develops, the chemicals in your brain can get out of hand. It's biological. Those times of not feeling like yourself are not moments of inadequacy or inferiority. It's like other injuries. When you break your leg, what do you do? You go to a doctor. When you're struggling [mentally], you should go to a doctor to talk about it.
I've learned to acknowledge whatever it is that's bothering me. Men don't do that. They tend to go into avoidance mode, and distract themselves by staying busy. Many turn to alcohol, drugs, anything to provide moments of relief. Long term, that doesn't work. I recognise that pattern now.
I have to face what it is that's bringing me down—whether it's someone that's sucking my energy levels, or a certain situation I don't like. I've learned that I need to separate myself [when that happens]. Before, I would just keep pushing through instead of facing the situation head on. It would drain my energy.
There's signals that show me that I'm getting into a bad place. For example, I might sleep worse, or be tired. I'm more in tune with those warning signs and signals now.
MH: Being a team principal of a Formula One team, you're constantly in high stress situations and dealing with difficult people. How do you continue to prioritise that mindset given the nature of your job?
TW: Lucky for me, I'm at my best when the stress load and pressure levels are high. That's my comfort zone, and it's a huge advantage. For me, it's more about 'bore out' rather than 'burnout.' When I'm not excited about things, I lose motivation.
But, I am understanding how to control the chaos. My phone doesn't blare notifications, because need to stay in control of my communications. I don't allow something not worth my attention at the moment to take it up because of when I happen to get a notification. I get to it when I can, and prioritise responses.
I take sleep very seriously. I always try to get eight hours. That's eight hours from the moment I fall asleep, not from when I get in bed. I stay on top of my fitness and nutrition. If I lack physical activity, then mentally, that's not good for me. So, I have a set pattern that that I have developed and understood over over time. I know what pillars help me stay in a good place mentally, and I follow them.
Same goes for my schedule on race weekends. I need to have a lunch break of 45 minutes, and I need time in-between meetings. I always have dinner with a friend who knows nothing about Formula One, so I get time to not think or talk about racing. It's pretty precise how everything is planned.
MH: Do you feel mental health is well managed in Formula One?
TW: Not at all. I think motorsport is very much still a male-dominated, can't-show-any-weakness type sport. It's a struggle being away from family and traveling [so] much. There are statements from team principals and senior management [across the paddock] that say whoever doesn't want to do it is too weak, and they shouldn't be there. There are people saying if you don't want to spend 500 hours a year on the airplane, then you shouldn't be in Formula One.
I believe we need to create an environment where people can be happy and prosper and still live their ambitions. I want to get the best out of people, and that means listening to their needs, and creating an environment where they function best.
MH: What kind of changes do you believe should be made to achieve that?
TW: I was pushing strong for a rotational system. So, if there are more then 20 races a year, then no one is able to [work] more then 18. Macho people will say, "if you don't want to do 24 races in a year, then don't work in the industry." We also want to protect those working for those people, too. That would be something that I would be in favour of, but it doesn't get a lot of support.
Within [the Mercedes] team, we invest in a support network for our staff. We have physical therapists and doctors that travel with us. We do our best to have the best catering, and provide good accommodations. For everyone that flies economy [to races], we provide them a free massage when they get to the hotel. We're really trying to invest in the people. Beyond taking care of the physical body, I also want everyone to feel like they can speak up and say when they're not feeling their best—and feel like there's no stigma around it. The bottle can't stay full all the time. I want to create a safe environment where we speak about the situations in our lives.
For a long time, I figured I would never be successful in Formula One because I thought, the guys at the top don't have what I have—[my mental health] is always going to be my limitation. Fast forward, and I've beaten those guys by miles. If any one of them would have come forward and said, "I suffer from mental health issues," that would have given me hope. It would've made things easier, because it would've empowered my dreams.
That's why those of us in the media spotlight need to talk about it. Lewis Hamilton has spoken about depression. Lando Norris has spoken about depression. It's so important to take the stigma away. Even if we only make it easier for a few people to speak out and seek help, then we have started somewhere.
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